South Tyneside and Sunderland plan overseas nurse recruitment drive

Bosses at the South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group are planning a recruitment drive in the Philippines following the success of recruiting Filipino nurses for over a decade in Sunderland.

It is hoped a trip planned for February next year will attract over 100 nurses to come and work in both South Tyneside and Sunderland.

The move signals a commitment from both trusts to address the long-term challenges facing the nursing and midwifery workforce as they continue to develop high quality healthcare services together.

The new recruits will work in acute inpatient areas in South Tyneside District Hospital, Sunderland Royal Hospital and Sunderland Eye Infirmary. They will cover a range of specialties including emergency care, acute medicine and care of the elderly.

Both trusts are also working in partnership with the University of Sunderland to expand the nursing and midwifery workforce in South Tyneside and Sunderland. A new nursing school was launched in April 2016 and it is expected the first cohort of ‘home grown’ graduates will be able to apply for permanent posts in 2019.

All new recruits from overseas will be required to meet the new registration process from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Melanie Johnson, executive director of nursing and patient experience for South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “Nursing and midwifery is a complex, demanding but, ultimately, very, very rewarding profession. I am extremely proud of our existing workforce who do an exceptional job every single day providing compassionate care for patients and who are always looking at innovative ways of improving patient care and experience.

“As we look ahead to 2018, we have a number of exciting plans to expand our nursing and midwifery workforce and the overseas element is just one important part of this. For many years, we have welcomed many Filipino nurses into the NHS in the region and there is already a very strong sense of community and belonging which I hope will help us attract even more nurses of the highest calibre to join our teams in South Tyneside and Sunderland.

“It is important, given the pressures facing our NHS and the demands on our existing workforce that we continue to explore all possible opportunities to attract more people into our organisations and I am confident that by working together as the South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group that we will be able to do just that.”